Life-preserving bucket-raft



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES FRENCH, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY.

LIFE-PRESERVING BUCKET-MFT.

To all whom fit may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES FRENCH, of Jersey City, in the county ot Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Buckets, whereby two or more of them may be combined to torm a Lite-Preserving Float or Ratt; and I do hereby declare that the `following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure l, is a side view ot a bucket with my invention applied. Fig. 2, is a central section of the same. Fig. 3, is a plan view showing a number of buckets combined to form a raft. Fig. 4, is a section in the line af, m, of Fig. 3.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

This invention consists in furnishing buckets7 each with one or more gaskets or gromets, encircling their exteriors and secured thereto in such a manner that when the buckets are inserted one within another the said gasket or gromet or gaskets or gromets will serve as packing between them to confine a quantity of air within the interior of each one that receives another one within it, and exclude water therefrom, thus constituting two or more buckets into a water tight float or raft. On board Steamers where a large number of buckets are used for washing decks, and in the engineer`s and cooks departments one or more large rafts may be made in this way, the material for their construction being always on hand occupying no extra room on board, and ready for such use at a moments notice.

In carrying out my invention it is essential that the buckets shall be made of taper form with the smallest part at the bottom which is the usual form for buckets, and it is desirable that each bucket shall possess in itself sutlicient buoyancy to float. In view of the latter consideration it is therefore necessary that it the buckets be made of metal, they shall have water tight chambers in their bottoms to contain a sutlicient quantity ot air to make them buoyant, which construction may also be used when they are made of wood though in that case it is hardly requisite.

The buckets A, A, represented in the drawing are made of metal supposed to be Specification of Letters Patent No. 19,989, dated April 20, 1858.

of galvanized iron. a, a, are the air chambers in their bottoms to give them the requisite buoyancy.

b, b, are the tion.

c, c, are grooves formed around the lower parts of the exterors of the buckets to receive the gaskets or gromets d, cl, which are to project well beyond the exterior surfaces of the buckets and which by being fitted tightly within, the said grooves are prevented slipping out of place. Two gaskets or gromets are shown applied to each pail but a single one may be furnished or more than two may be used. They may be made of india rubber or gutta percha, or of rope or spun yarn, or any material generally suitable to serve as an elastic packing.

e, e, are eyes attached to the sides of the buckets for the purpose of receiving cords or ropes to secure the buckets together.

To make a float or raft of these buckets two or more are placed one within another and driven into each other as shown in Fig. 4 with Jtorce enough to cmpress'the gaskets or gromets tightly enough to exclude water from between them and the interior ot the buckets which cover them, thus forming water tight air chambers h, h, between them; and they are then secured by lashings i, vf, rove through the eyes e, e, as shown in Fig. 3, or through the staples f f, by which the bails are attached. Two or more rows inserted one within another in this way may be placed side by side lashed together as shown in Fig. 3, by lashings g, g, rove through the eyes e, e, and in this way a secure and very buoyant raftv may be made of any desirable size limited only by the number of buckets at command.

I do not claim the construction of buckets with air chambers in them to make them serve as floats or life preservers. But

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

Furnishing buckets with encircling gaskets or gromets d, d, or their equivalents ap plied substantially as described, so that two or more of such buckets may be combined to constitute a float or raft, as herein set forth.

CHARLES FRENCH.

bails of the usual construclVitnesses W. TUscn, W. HAUFF. 

